The Morning’s Top 5 Pop Culture Stories

1. Hollywood actress and legendary pinup girl Jane Russell — who managed to make sprawling on a bale of hay look sexy in her 1943 film debut, The Outlaws — died yesterday at the age of 89. She was a favorite of Howard Hughes, who infamously designed a special “cantilever” bra that would expose more of her breasts on-screen. Russell refused to wear it. [via LAT]

2. Don’t tell Johnny Depp or the Coen Brothers, but Tim Burton and Josh Brolin may be working together on a new film adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame; the deciding factor will be if Burton likes the script. [via Slashfilm]

3. Iran is threatening to boycott the 2012 London Olympics because they’ve suddenly decided that the ugly logo looks like it’s spelling out “Zion.” [via Gawker]

4. “I don’t take this stuff lightly, but in the context of this film, it could not be more edifying, more appropriate. It’s not vicious, it’s not an insult and it’s not in any of the contexts which might offend people.” – Academy Award winner Colin Firthvoices his opinion on the “cleaned-up” version of The King’s Speech

5. Exciting news for trustafarians: Volkswagen has unveiled a new version of its 1950 microbus that’s a little more luxurious than the original: “It’s powered by an electric motor and uses an iPad to control the entertainment system, climate control and other functions.” [via MSNBC]